Billie Holliday declared Kay Starr “the only white woman who could sing the blues”, and there’s no doubt that while you are listening to this moody ballad of luck and love, you will know exactly what she meant.

She’s also sassy AF which you will totally get from this 1951 colour video of the singer crooning her song which became a Gold Record and made it to #1 on the charts in the U.S.

She was a seductive woman and the first woman in Greek mythology. Made from Earth to punish Prometheus for his overreaching and theft of the sacred fire, her youthful curiosity led her to opening a mysterious jar, the “Pandora’s Box”, that contained all the evils of humanity, releasing them into the wild.

According to the myth, she closed the jar leaving only HOPE inside.

Thanks, Pandora.

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It’s an age old tale going back to Ancient times, but the story is still permeating our landscape to this day.

Was Pandora just curious, or did she have a bit of a wild streak? You know how they say if your parents say not to do something, you’re going to do it. A little work of the Rebel Spirits, perhaps?

We wanted to make a {PHOTO BLAST} dedicated to the ultimate bad girl, and the many incarnations we saw of her. So please, enjoy!

It’s been 5 years since we first began this online source of high quality time traveled vintage clothing and style inspiration we ended up calling The Eye of Faith. November 11, 2011 was a very lucky year to begin a new endeavour according to numerology sources, and with that in mind, and our mind set on success we published our first articles online, and began searching the globe for our unique vintage clothing pieces that make up our collection today.

People often ask us: “What does The Eye of Faith mean?”

The Eye of Faith is definable in many contexts. It is a very ancient symbol that has been burned into our subconscious as humans – Oculata Fides is represented by an eye in the sky watching over us, and us in turn keeping our heart and mind centred on that eye; the eye represents our goals and wants, and as much as we keep our eye on those things fleeting and floating in the sky/mind, our dreams are also watching out for us. Keeping these two aspects symbiotic is the key. Having faith in yourself and your destiny will always turn up fruitful, and the accomplishments we have achieved in just this first five years prove to us that we weren’t off base when conceptualizing our brand and keeping this philosophy a cornerstone of its foundation.

On a basic level we have a keen eye, and faith in our dreams; thus, The Eye of Faith was born!

Everyone talks about rock these days; the problem is they forget about the roll.

-Keith Richards

So, with that in mind, we have chosen a brand new Style Idol to add to our altars!

A beautiful being brought unto this Earth by Gods of rebellion and bad assness. He has been an ultimate icon for us for many years, and its taken us a while to get the time to truly showcase his style savvy salaciousness.

This is the rock ‘n’ roll life, and you had to invent it as you went along. There was no textbook to say how you operate this machinery.

-Keith Richards

I mean some doctor told me I had six months to live and I went to their funeral.

-Keith Richards

We are talking Rolling Stones bad boy Keith Richards!

Such style and such un-grace. If you pay close attention, you will notice many musicians and male celebrities have begun heavily taking from this particular style spirit, which means you can too!

If you’re going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use both feet.

-Keith Richards

Don’t be shy! Also, boys and girls alike can summon the vibrations of Mr. Richards with ease; the most important aspect you must wear with it is the attitude. If you don’t have it? Fake it ’till you make it!

Nothing is as rad as showing up for your day, and the world clamouring at your style-wise armour.

About myself I have no great illusions. I know what I am. I know what I’m good at. I know what I ain’t.

-Keith Richards

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Stay wise and keep your eye on that long winding road ahead of us all.

We have all been faced with some disturbing realities this week.

Lets not let this mess with the strides we have made.

We have always believed in tracing the links between the {PAST} and the {PRESENT} to help shape the {FUTURE}.

And, if the {PAST} is any indication to what is in store, we need to be strong and resilient and not afraid to back down from who we are at our core.

When it comes to achieving that legendary Ivy Style, one shouldn’t have to think too much at all.

When we came across this simple spread from 1955 we were struck with the straight forwardness of the editorial, as well as the run-down on how to achieve that Ivy Look.

The article was so fascinating and perfect, we had no choice but to share and feature it with our readers here at The Eye. Knowing the ins and outs of the Ivy Look is essential for any style enthusiast, so it was only right we help educate and relate!

The key really is having those classic and timeless pieces in your wardrobe so that you’re not really having to worry so much about how it’s all coming together. You take your hand, and you touch that sports coat or shirt and all the sudden it is fused to your being for the day.

Sometimes it just feels right. The best part about it is, you can see that it’s not necessarily about being some kind of perfect specimen, at all. In fact, it is much more about pairing the unexpected, and contrasting patterns and textures in curious ways to make those around you take that second look and say “Whoa! That guy has got it together!”

At that, my friends, will make you feel damn good.

So, what’s that acronym again they are always saying? K.I.S.S….You don’t have to do much but be yourself, be comfortable, and show off a little.

We are so excited to announce that we will be costuming “HAIR” at Hamilton Theatre Inc. this May, and for the first time in ages your boys at The Eye of Faith will be gracing the stage as peace-loving, flower-wearing, fringe-flinging New York City hippies during the Summer of Love!

So to celebrate the news, we thought we’d bring back this {MUSIC MINUTE} that we originally posted back in 2012!

We love this performance from the 6.26.1969 episode of “The Mama Cass Show”! Like, the fact that a celebrity like Mama Cass existed and went as far to hosting her own T.V. show is so flipping cool! This performance features Mama Cass herself, Canadian Lady of the Canyon Joni Mitchell and Peter, Paul & Mary’s own Mary Travers. It’s a beautiful song, and they all look beyond great!

Its a great way to kick-off our dive into the rabbit-hole of 60s psychedelic glory, and we can’t wait! We will be posting more inspirations in the days and months to come!

Also in the spirit of The Eye of Faith and our union of the {past},{present}, and {future} check out how remarkable of a parallel it is between the fashion donned by especially Mama Cass and Joni Mitchell align with Chloe’s latest S/S 16 showcase in Paris!

What’s more is that the Claire Waight Keller’s Chloe collection is actual ly an ode to the 90s (after all, 60s bohemian fashions had a bit of a revival in the 90s), so we are actually being treated to quite the smoothie of fashion style, going to show how important it is, and empowering it is to have all eyes open, and take in all we can to create a richer, and ultimately more beautiful life!

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If you haven’t ventured, be sure to check out the depths of our blog by using the side menu where it says ‘BLOG’. From there you can access the dozen+ topics and categories we have covered over the year, and as we like to say, use it to escape your everyday . . .

The “wayward wasp” from New York City was born to wealth, coming from an aristocratic family (his great grandfather founded the Great Northern Railway in 1857; his grandfather, Pierre Lorillard III, a tobacco heir) – he could have had any life he could dream of.

So, after graduating from Yale with a degree in art history (mentored by art greats Josef Albers, Vincent Scully, and Richard Lindner), and a membership with the Scroll & Key (secret society bro), he chose to escape the jungles of the western world for the true wild of Africa.

I like to hang on to things and see the sea changes, the wear and tear, the spills, rain, and fire- how time works on everything.

-Peter Beard

There he would kick off his fantastic art career with a book entitled “The End of the Game” which documented the degradation of African wildlife brought on by yours truly – mankind. Taken in Tsavo National Park in Kenya, unsettling photos of carcasses and bones and rotting corpses in stunning and timeless sepia tinted black and white photos with mixed media and collage would put a stamp on Peter Beard’s exotic, original, and in-your-face style of photography.

It’s no easy feet trenching through crocodile infested waters, or watching as a colleague is torn in half by a charging rhinoceros, but it didn’t stop him from calling Kenya home.

He would set up home and shop in a rural sanctuary known as Hog Ranch, where he entertained a multitude of the world’s most interesting and fabulous friends, and take some of fashion’s most stunning images. He did it all in the most elegant and cool of ways.

Set against raving African landscapes, Beard brings new life to an industry built on a fantasy of luxury and excess, and strips it down (as well as his models) to the subtle supple curves of a woman, for whom he has had many. . . flecks of paint, and wicked swirls collaborate upon the images to create a magic that is evocative of his timeless and raw sense of style and unique perspective on life.

A rockstar in ever right, find him alongside Mick Jagger on tour, yachting with Aristotle and Jackie Onasis (clocking 4:20 in a $2,000 bet he couldn’t stay underwater for 4 minutes), entertaining royals, taking a nap with Francis Bacon in Andy Warhol’s bed, or partying with Halston at Studio 54, running from bulls in Madrid, or forcing Janice Dickinson to pose with a cheetah.

Lets put it simply: Peter Beard is a bad ass. He combines classic American ivy league style with a worldly spirit, nostalgia for the golden days of British Colonialism, all jet set to the max – keeping it clean, cool, masculine, and chic, and never being afraid to rip a shirt or get a stain. The truth is, he probably never thinks twice about any of that shit . . . prolific playboys never give a shit.

“I’m not a planner; I’ve never made a decision about anything in my life. The good thing about Africa is that you can escape forever. You can do what you want, without someone looking over your shoulder.”

His legendary journals and collage work have been soaring in prices at auctions as of late (his 1968 piece Orphan Cheetah Triptych took in $662,500 at Christie’s in 2012), so it would seem that sometimes doing the complete opposite of people’s expectations can truly pay off.

It’s all in the attitude, or should we say spirit. This is one we should all definitely try to invoke.

So, don’t get stuck in the status-quo. And never let anyone tell you that art isn’t worth it.

Here we are now, entertain us . . .

With September unfolding, seems like we can’t help but get wrapped up in all the back to school spirit. The youth is on fire in the streets, and we’ve been given the chance to meet so many unique young individuals in the city and around the world. In fact, it’s impossible to not feel inspired!

We got the title of this {PHOTOBLAST} series from the classic Nirvana single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” which still wreaks its foul mouthed odour over our culture and society.
On top of that, one of our favourite Youtube channels React by the Fine Bros. released a Teen React to Smells Like Teen Spirit video that just had our mind gushing with limitless energizing spirit.

This {PHOTOBLAST} is dedicated to the fiery souls of the cult of Teen.

It’s really more of a headspace, just like anything else. So don’t be shy, or feel embarassed when all you feel like doing is kicking back with your friends and having a good time. It’s right no matter how old you are.

Plus, it always pays to look good while you’re doing it.

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I can see my baby swingin’
His Parliament’s on fire and his hands are up
On the balcony and I’m singing
Ooh, baby, ooh, baby, I’m in love

Was feeling inspired today by Buddy Holly, the chic geek with the rims to match…

There isn’t a lot about this young talent’s style that hasn’t stopped beating, so that’s why we felt the tragic rock n’ roll icon deserved a second look.

After a rocking night at Clear Lake, Iowa’s iconic Surf Ballroom the young star hopped in a plane to take him to his next venue. Amidst a harsh February snow storm, the plane crashed killing everyone on board, but strangely in the quietest of circumstances. No one heard a peep. Legendary rock author Harry Hepcat wrote,

“The bodies lay in the blowing snow through the night…… February indeed made us shiver, but it was more than the cold of February that third day of the month in 1959. It was the shiver of a greater, sometimes senseless, reality invading our sheltered, partying, teenaged life of the 50s.”

His death came for everyone a shock, as this was one of the budding musical talents and stars of the times. Born Charles Hardin Holley in September 7, of 1939, Buddy would live to be only 22 years of age.

Inspired by rockabilly and the teen scene around him, Buddy Holly today is remembered as one of the most influential rock n’ roll musicians of all time (ranked lucky #13 on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Artists), as well as one of history’s most stylish individuals.

We found this wicked video online of rare Supper 8mm footage of the rock n’ roll icon at his most natural, comfortable, fun, and stylish self.

The thing with these guys is they aren’t even trying…

They know all it takes is a little guts, and a hell of a lot of glory to achieve those heights. And indeed he achieved. Maybe more than he might have ever imagined.

He was loved by his own, but then highly feared by religious leaders who insisted his work immoral, and hated by the police for inciting frenzy and riots. At just 20 years old, he was already gently shifting the tuning dial for much of modern music…

His one-of-a-kind attitude towards his own style is a reflection of this rebellious honesty. Sometimes you just got to do it your way.

And if you ask Buddy Holly, he’d most definitely agree.

So stay true blue, whatever you do. Don’t worry what other people are saying. In the end, it’s your essence which matters most. It’s what is remembered. That is how over fifty years later we still remember Buddy Holly as one of the stars that still shine bright in our world today.

“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is an invisible labor. “

-Victor Hugo

New Wave just wouldn’t have been New Wave without this eccentric to pave the way through the 1980’s. With a penchant for pastels, and bold black and white stripes, we thank this latest E.O.F. Style Idol inductee for being part of a fashion revolution for men, for being fearless, and for using that pelvis for the good of mankind.

We would like to introduce you to William Michael Albert Broad.

Having grown up in Stanmore, Middlesex, England, amidst the English countryside with a background in proper Boys Schools, this rebel rocker would boldly defy convention and using peroxide to pave his way, he would come to be know as the one and only Billy Idol.

In October 1975, Idol went to Brighton Polytechnic to pursue an English degree, and lived on campus (East Slope), but left just after Year One. Billy’s academic ambitions would be cut short, as there was definitely a change in the air…

The world was shifting and popular culture was rapidly changing; the squeaky boy bands of the past were begging for a make-over! Raw unbridled sexuality would be exactly what the doctor would prescribe…

“If your world doesn’t allow you to dream, move to one where you can”

– Billy Idol

The name Billy Idol was inspired by a schoolteacher’s description of the young Broad as “idle” – a bit of a slacker, non-chalant, “too cool for school”, as they say. But it was his music ambitions and talent for performance that showcased the young man as anything but idle.

The stage name was also a nod to the pop acts that came before him. Billy Idol looked to history, comparing himself to his own idols like Billy Fury and Elvis.

“We were saying the opposite to the Clash and the Pistols. They were singing ‘No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones’, but we were honest about what we liked. The truth was, we were all building our music on the Beatles and the Stones”

He then went on to join the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans; a loose gang that traveled into town when the band played. Billy could see similarities between himself and the motley punk troupe. He had a hunger for performing, and Billy knew he had to make his mark as an entertainer.

It wasn’t until Billy would step out from the background and take center stage as front man of Generation X that the act from across the pond would make a huge splash in international waters. This quickly ushered in the ‘second wave’ of British invasion acts during the MTV era in the 1980s.

“I love it when someone insults me. It means I don’t have to be nice anymore.”

-Billy Idol.

By 1982, Billy made a splash on the club charts as a solo artist. The single “Dancing by Myself” hit the pop charts like a comet! With a string of hits like “Rebel Yell”, “White Wedding”, and “Eyes without a Face”, as well as a hit cover of “Money Money”, Idol Fever hit America in a huge way.

With an electric look consisting of scantily clad chains and leather, with a gyrating pelvis and curling lip, only comparable to the King himself, Idol had the idol sex appeal like no other teenage dream, and successfully ruled the charts for over a decade.

In 1990, Idol was involved in a serious motorbike accident that slowed down the shock rocker, and nearly cost him a leg. He was also hit by a car when he ran a stop sign while riding home from the studio in Hollywood one night, requiring a steel rod to be placed in his leg. Idol would go on to speak about this accident and credit it for completely changing his life.

Having spent years partying and crediting much time to white weddings, Idol didn’t want to waste anymore time.

Due to the circumstance of the accident, Billy would have to pass on a movie role tailor made for the Prince of Peroxide.

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)“, written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, had originally written it with Billy Idol in mind, but the singer turned it down, leaving the song to Simple Minds, who made it a hit in 1985! The Breakfast Club would have been a very different film if the rebel-hearted singer had left his hand print on the flick.

Influencing youth to revolt to this day, bleaching one’s head peroxide blonde wouldn’t have the same impact if it weren’t for the one and only Billy Idol. And if you browse LOOKBOOK, or any other street style source, you will be finding kids rocking the edge just like Billy.

Wiktor Hansson as Billy Idol for Tush Magazine

Count on finding this rocker’s look mimiced in fashion magazines and on the backs of the style obsessed youth. Billy Idol is what every man fantasizes of being; a sexual being unrestricted by the bounds of society, a creature of vanity, insanity, and completely possessed by the spirit of rock n’ roll. He shows that it’s good to stand out from the crowd, and to be extraordinary.

With a touch of James Dean’s rebel ways, the natural class of Errol Flynn, and a wildly adventurous spirit, Billy keeps himself current to this very day, performing and touring the world over. We love this star decked head to toe with crucifixes and chains, or wearing nothing at all. One thing is for certain, he’ll always be our Teen Idol!

His infamous Grammy hat auctioned to Arby’s for $44,000 (to charity), and has instilled the power it takes, and the power that comes from adorning your crown with an impeccable piece of headwear that lets everyone know what you are talking about.

What we are talking about are HATS! Hats. Hats. Hats. Can’t get enough of them these days . . . it seems that we as a whole haven’t been able to get enough of them those days, either. We’ve scoured the past for some of our favourite vintage style inspirations when it comes to the art of wearing a hat!!

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CLOTHING & LIFESTYLE Blog: Explorations of the [past/present/future]

SHOP THE {SHOP} !!!

The men and women who inspire…Style Idols and Divinities are unique individuals with style beyond the things they wear, but also the way they lived. Delve into their unique stories accompanied by an expansive array of photos to muse over!

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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

The Eye of Faith {Vintage} is a brand dedicated to integrating time traveled wisdom from the {past} with the {present} to help shape the {future}. It is an age old symbol of believing in oneself, and having faith in your dreams. No longer must we be lost. We are a burgeoning society dedicated to an alternative to the purchase of affordable fashion forward apparel, accessories, and home decor. We also provide design services and consultation, as well as costume and styling. At our core, we are a source of inspiration and musing.
Please enjoy your time here.
If you have any questions, please email the.eye.of.faith@gmail.com